600 - Defiance County---Statistics. The first federal census of Defiance county was returned in 1850, when it exhibited a population of 6,966 ; in 1860, 11,886, and in 1870, 15,719. The twelve townships returned, severally, in 1870, the following enumerations of inhabitants : Adams, 1,220 ; Defiance, 3,615; Delaware, 1,160; Farmer, 1,184; Hicksville, 1;287; Highland, 946; Mark (in 1851, taken from Farmer), 595 : Milford, 1,555 ; Noble, 867; Richland, 1,194; Tiffin, 1,080; Washington, 1,016. The county has erected a Court House, one of the best, as regards style of architecture, interior arrangements, and cost considered, in the State. The value of the public property of the county, is estimated at $205,000, free of incumbrance, except a debt of $5,000, on account of new Court House. The County Infirmary pays an annual surplus into the Treasury exceeding $1,000. There is probably no county in Ohio that, from its organization, has been under more judicious financial management. The taxable valuation of the county in 1845, was $484,004; in 1871, $4,792,797. The first officers of the county, after the oganization of Williams, and whose offices were then located at the then county seat, at Defiance, have been heretofore stated. 'Those now in office are the following : Probate Judge, J. J. Greene ; Clerk, Edwin Phelps; Prosecuting Attorney, Silas T. Sutphen; Sheriff, J. B. Hootman; Coroner, John H. Kiser; Auditor, John H. Conkle; Treasurer, Asa Toheren ; Recorder, Lewis Neill ; Surveyor, D. H. English ; Commissioners, Wm. R. Maxwell, Adam Wilhelm and Isaac Garver. The town was laid out h November, 1822, by .Benjamin Leavell, of Piqua, and Horatio G. Phillips, of Dayton, and acknowledged by Charles Gunn, J. P., April 18, 1823, and recorded the 28th of the same month in the records of Wood county, by Thomas R. McKnight, Recorder. The county seat of Williams was established at Defiance, on condition of a donation by the proprietors of one-third of their lots, and erecting a jail,, in 1825. Benjamin Leavell, in 1835, sold his whole interest in the town and vicinity of Defiance, to Curtis Holgate. In the winter of 1839-40, the action of the commissioners removed the county, seat to "Bryan. The several towns, during the three decades, exhibited the following census results : Defiance, population in 1850, 890.; in 1860, 932 ; in 1870, 2,750. Brunersburg, in 1850, 169 ; in 1860, 194; in 1870, 185. Evansport, in 1850, 165 ; in 1860, 218 ; in 1870, 191. It will be discovered that Brunersburg and Evansport have retrograded, while the population of Defiance exhibits results that must be most gratifying to those interested in its progress. Of the five largest cities of Ohio, Toledo made the greatest advance during the last decade ; and of the eight lesser, Defiance is first—exceeding, indeed, in ratio of growth, any city in Ohio. The late Secretary of State, General Sherwood, in his analysis of the per cent. of increase made by eight of the smaller cities, during eht period between 1860 and 1870, gives the following results : De- Defiance—The County and Town - 601 fiance, 195 ; Youngstown, 192 ; Akron, 184 ; Canton, 114; Springfield, 80 ; Portsmouth, 67 ; Steubenville, 65, and Newark, 43. Commercially, Defiance is most favorably situated, being at the confluence of two important rivers, which bear upon their surface large values of timber, and also possessing the advantage of two canals, which guarantee, during seasons of navigation, not only cheap freights, but also afford most valuable water power. Added to these are the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway, which has a repair shop at Defiance, and the Baltimore, Pittsburg & Chicago Railway Company are now constructing their trunk line through the town. The appearances and probabilities indicate that the federal census of 1880 will exhibit a per cent. of growth, as compared with the returns of 1870, fully equal to that of the decade to which Gen. Sherwood calls attention in his report. The value of exports of ship timber from Defiance, it is claimed, exceeds that of any town in Ohio. In the town there are eight churches-2 Methodist, 1 Catholic, 1 Presbyterian, 2 Lutheran, 1 Baptist, and 1 Universalist ; two newspapers—the Defiance Democrat, by J. J. Greene, and the Defiance Ex/press, by F. Brooks ; one public and three private schools. The banking facilities have grown from a small and modest beginning, some ten years since, to their present magnitude and usefulness. The business was first instituted by Ahira Cobb and Virgil Squire, under the firm name of Cobb & Squire. Mr. Cobb, being a heavy capitalist, and extensive business man, of Cleveland, his time was necessarily given to that city, while the banking business, at Defiance, was conducted by Mr. Squire, who, from his long ex- perience of 30 years in active mercantile life, was eminently fitted to judge of the wants and needs of business men, and in whose hands the bank speedily assumed growing and enlarged capabilities,—so much so, that, in the course of a few years, it demanded an extended basis; and was, January 1, 1872, re-organized under the National Banking act, by Mr. Squire and his son Edward, who, during, the year previous, had, by experience and observation, become thoroughly qualified for the discharge of their several duties. The new bank was chartered as the "Defiance National _Bank," with a paid up capital of $100,000—the father and son being chosen, the one President, and the other cashier, with a Board of Directors composed of some of the most prosperous business men of the town, as follows: Henry Kahlo, Virgil Squire, James A. Orcutt, Joshua P. Otley, William Lauster, John Crowe, and Edward Squire. Judging from results thus far, a highly remunerative and exceedingly prosperous career can safely be predicted for this bank. Among the important industries of the town, is the Defiance. Manufacturing Company, which organized and commenced business on a small basis, January 1, 1870, and, in the year ending 1871. the sales had reached, including those made by their newly-established branch at Logansport, Indiana, $150,000, and had given employment to 150 men. About the close of January, 1872, a fire destroyed the shops and machinery, involving heavy. loss; but the Company, undismayed by the disaster, have re-built, and are again in operation with increased facilities, and are now enabled to produce daily, of spokes, 15,000; of lumber wagon hubs, 100 set ; and of bent work, a proportionate amount—constituting it the most extensive manufacturing establishment of its character in the Maumee Valley. The business is managed by Henry Kahlo, President ; E. P. Hooker, Secretary, and John Crowe, Superintendent. In other industries, the town has also two grist, one saw, one planing, and one woollen mill ; one stave factory ; one stove foundry; three furniture factories; one carriage, and two carriage and wagon shops ; six black- 602 - Paulding County—Statistics, smith do; one machine do ; two harness do; one marble do ; ten boot and shoe do, and three millinery do- Four hotels ; three livery stables; five dry goods, three clothing, one agricultural machine, three drug, and three family grocery stores ; thirty two family groceries and saloons; five meat markets; one news depot ; three jewelers; two cabinet sales rooms ; three tobacconists ; three brick yards ; one brewery ; two insurance agencies, representing fifteen companies. The town of the county next in importance to Defiance, is Hicksville—these two being the principal points in the county which will be upon the line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, now being constructed, At. Hicksville, also, the Fort Wayne and ,Detroit road will cross the B. and 0- road. As regards health, no town in the Maumee Valley exceeds Hicksville. Its supply of pure water, from Artesian Wells, is abundant for all uses. PAULDING COUNTY, Formed April 1, 1820, was named from John Paulding, a native of Peeksville, N- Y., and one of the three militia men who captured Major Andre, in the war of the revolution, and who died in 1818. The county was organized in 1839. The population of the county in 1830, was 161; in 1840, 1,034; in 1850, 1,766 ; in 1860, 4,945, and in 1870, 8;541. The returns of the census of 1870, exhibited the following as the census of the several townships : Auglaize, 788; Benton, 401; Blue Creek, 163; Brown, 1,140; carryall, 1,087; Crane, 1,681; Antwerp, 717 ; Emerald, 717; Harrison, 304 ; Jackson, 556; Latty, 294; Paulding, 44'8 ; Washington, 957. General Horatio N- Curtis is an old resident of the county. In a communication to the Antwerp Gazette, he states that he made his second visit to the county on the 10th of March, 1825- " At this time, Defiance was quite a small village, containing one small store, one tavern, and some five or six families- Isaac Hull kept a store on the north side of the Maumee, opposite Defiance, and had an extensive trade with the Indians- " Among the first settlers of what is now Delaware township, in Defiance county, were Montgomery Evans, William Snook, Thomas Warren, and Samuel and Dennison Hughes, who settled there in 1823-24- Soon after, Gavin V- Hamilton and Jacob Platter moved in- The first death that occurred, was Andrew, son of Jacob Platter. "The two first justices of the peace, were Oliver Crane and Montgomery Evans. The next township organized was Crane, which extended south and west from Delaware township to the State line. The township derives its name from Oliver Crane. Among the. first settlers of what is now Crane township, were Oliver Crane, William Gordon, Ephraim Seely and Samuel Reynolds, who settled in 1823-24. Samuel Gordon and Dennison Hughes moved to the township in the early part of 1825. The first justices of the peace elected were Thomas P. Quick and H. N. Curtis. The first marriage in what is now Crane, was solemnized by Oliver Crane, who joined in holy wedlock a Mr- Young to Miss Sherry. " About this time, Brown township was organized. This township was up the Auglaize, south of Defiance. The first settlers there were Shadrack Hudson, Isaac Carey, John Kingery and Christopher Sroufe. The township took its name from a small fort or stockade that was built by a part of General Harrison's army during the second war with Great Britain. It occupied the point Paulding County--Early Settlers - 603 at the junction of the Big and Little Auglaize rivers. A part of the pickets or pallisades were still standing, and seen by the writer in passing down the Auglaize river in the spring of 1825. This was called Fort Brown, and was I think. so marked upon the early maps of the country. " The next township organized was Carryall, which took its name from a large rock in the middle of the Maumee river. It was so called by the French on account of its resembling a vehicle of that name. This stone is about one mile above the village of Antwerp. Carryall township lies west of Crane. Among the first settlers were William Banks, Reason V. Spurrier, David Applegate and Thomas Runyan, who settled there in 1827-28. The first marriage that took place was that of Phillip Murphey to Miss Nancy Runyan, and was solemnized by H. N. Curtis, then justice of the peace, in October, 1830. The three townships last named are now within the limits of Pauding county first Associate Judges were Nathan Eaton, John Hudson and Gilman C. Mudgett, who met in the fall of 1839, and appointed H. N. Curtis, Clerk pro tem, and Andrew J. Smith, Sheriff: The first Court was held in the spring of 1840, Hon. Emery D. Potter presiding, in the then flourishing village of New Rochester, at that time containing some twenty families, and the most suitable place in all the County to hold a Court. (There is now scarcely a mark of all its former greatness remaining.) From there the Court and county business were removed to Charloe, in 1841—the county seat, meantime, having been established at that point, and continuing there until removed to its present location. The bounty on wolf scalps in the early settling of the county, together with the large quantities of furs and peltries taken by the trappers and hunters, formed quite a revenue, and assisted much in paying taxes, and in procuring the common necessaries of life. "This county, in early time, was one of the favorite hunting grounds of the Indians, and they yielded their right of dominion to the chemoccman,” or white man, with reluctance. It was noted for the abundance and fine quality of the furs and peltries taken within its limits. " I recollect, while acting as Clerk of the Court, to have had candidates for marriage frequently pay me my fees in raccoon skins for granting the marriage license. One case I well recollect, of having been called upon to marry a couple ; and having done so, the gentleman informed me that he had nothing to pay me for my services. I told him, all right ; but in the fall they gathered .and, sent me a fine lot of hickory nuts as compensation for my services. "The first trading house in the county was opened by Thomas P. Quick in 1826, for the purpose of obtaining furs and peltries from the Indians. The first citizen.s in the county was opened in the fall of 1829, by the writer. The first white man that settled in the county was John Driver, a silversmith, who made broaches and ear-rings for the Indians-" Among the early settlers at Charloe, were John Taylor, (now of Perrysville,) John W. Ayers, George H. Phillips and A. H. Palmer ; and at the Junction, Capt. Dana Columbia, Dr. Henry Marcellus, and Capt. Thomas Lough. General Curtis was well acquainted with the Indian, Occanoxa, with whom he frequently had business transactions. He was chief of a band numbering about six hundred, his town occupying the present site of Charloe. He was a large, powerfully-built Indian, but advancing years had made inroads upon his constitution. He was naturally ugly, and when intoxicated, malicious. On one occasion, visiting the store of General Curtis for the purpose of trading, and being under the influence of liquor, he was describing, in a ferocious manner, his ancient feats in scalp-taking, This fighting of his old battles against white women and children over again, upon his own premises, was not agreeable to the General, and in a moment of excitement he advanced upon the Indian and knocked him to the ground. William and John Moss, brothers, and natives of England, visited Paulding county in 1834, and established themselves as residents the year following. The patent for the land entered at the Piqua Land Office, for the N. E. Qr. of 604 - Van Wert County—Population, &c. Sec. 26, T. 2 N., R. 3 E., (now Jackson township,) bears date May 11, 1835 ; and that for the land of his brother John being on Sec. 24 adjoining, bears the same date. These brothers were probably the first white settlers in that Section of Paulding county, excepting, possibly, one family on the Little Auglaize, named Earl. VAN WERT. This county was formed April 1, 1820 ; and, like Williams and Paulding, named from one of the captors of the unfortunate Andre—Isaac Van Wert. The county, at the time of its formation, had few white inhabitants, and until 1836 was attached to Mercer county for civil purposes. The first Court was held at Willshire, October 3, 1837, by Associate Judges Joshua Watkins, Benjamin Griffin, and Oliver Stacey. The first session of the Commissioners was a special one, also convened at Willshire, on the 29th of April, 1836. At the time of its organization, Van Wert consisted of twelve townships, only four of which, namely : Pleasant Ridge, Willshire and Jennings, were organized. " Davis Johnson settled in Harrison Township, 5 miles north of the town of Willshire, in April, 1836. At that time, in Willshire, were the following families : James Majors, Sr., and William Majors, Jr., (the latter having no family,) and the following sons of the former, part of whom had families : David, Robert, Jonathan, George, James, Jr. and William, Jr- ; Charles Mount, (mer- chant,) Henry Reichard, (merchant,) Wm. Case, (the first Co. Treasurer,) Daniel Cross, (blacksmith,) Thorn, Harper, and Wm. Purdy. At this date there was not an inhabitant north of him to the Maumee River. Willson, (first surveyor) and Ansel Blossom, then the oldest settler resident of the town, who came to Willshire in 1819. On the St. Mary's, ten miles above Willshire, were the families of John, Jacob, and Peter Bolenbancher, and Solomon Harzack. At the Presidential election of 1836, there were 15 votes polled in the township of Willshire, which then embraced all Van Wert county, and Black Creek township, Mercer county. At the election, held October, 1837, a ticket was formed, regardless of party interests, on the morning Of the election, and received the unanimous vote of the electors. "The first public sale of lots in the town of Van Wert was made on the 17th of June, 1837. Mr. Johnson continued on his first homestead, which he yet owns, though having at several elections been chosen to the office of County Surveyor, until 1854, when he removed to Van Wert, where he continues to reside." William Johns removed to Harrison township in October, 1837, and in 1839 to Pleasant township, until his death, which occurred December 4, 1871. In the first years of his residence he was connected with the Indian trade—buying chiefly for the Hollisters, of Perrysburg. Jacob Goodwin removed to the present township of York, in December, 1834. " Peter and John K. Harter came to the neighborhood about the same date. Washington Mark, John Rich, and Benjamin Griffin, had preceded him a few months, and were then the only inhabitants of Jennings Prairie. The only survivors of those named above are Peter Harter and myself. Mr. Harter is one of the most advanced in years among the early pioneers of Van Wert county." Joseph Gleason removed to Pleasant township, Van Wert county, in August, 1837, and in December, 1839, to the town of Van Wert, where he yet resides. " In 1837 there were only two families in Van Wert—those belonging to Daniel Van Wert County— Population,, &c. - 605 Cook and John F. Dodds, with whom came William Parent- The families of James G-, John, Adam, Thomas, Robert, and Hugh Gilliland, William, John, and James Young, Hill, John Poole, William Priddy, John Mark, Peter Wills, David King, and Oliver Stacey, were living east of town, on or near " the Ridge ;" and on Jennings Prairie resided Washington Mark, Benjamin Griffin, John K. and Peter Harter, Jacob Goodwin and John Case. West, on the Ridge, were the families of James and Samuel Maddox, William Miller, George Raney, and William Bronson. There were no residents in the north part of the county. On a trip to Defiance as late as 1840 or 1841, he found no settlement between Van Wert and the mouth of the Little Auglaize. Dr. P. John Hines, the first physician, and yet living, removed to the town in 1838- The Gillilands, the Hills, and John Mark, came in the year 1835. The first named family and Peter Wills cut 20 miles of the track for the road known as the Bucyrus and Fort Wayne road, commencing about 4 miles west of Van Wert. The road followed the Indian trail. Elias Evers removed to the township now known as Union, in October, 1839. The following were the inhabitants of the town of Van Wert in 1842 : J. M. Barr, S. Engleright, Wm. Parent, Joseph Gleason, Samuel Clark, E. R. Wells, Thomas R. Mott, William Thorn, Cook, David Fisher, Thomas R. Kear, John W. Lown, (who removed to Van Wert in June, 1840,) Isaac Doherty, Robert Gilliland, Dr. P. John Hines, David Richey, Jacob Thorn, John Roach, George McManama, Thomas Thorn, Samuel Parent, James Graves, William Caton, William and Jacob Stripe, Joshua and Isaiah Shaffer, George Cress, William Fronefield and Reuben Frisbie. The nearest water mills were at Fort Wayne and Piqua; though there was a horse mill at which corn and buckwheat were ground on Jennings Prairie, and another in Union township, Mercer county. Little wheat was then raised. The "arm-strong," or hand-mill—the stones being " nigger heads," and turned by hand—would, by dint 'of hard labor, turn out a peck of corn meal during the day, and found a place beside a hand-loom in nearly every household. Population of Van Wert county in 1830, 49; in 1840, 1,577; in 1850, 4,793; in 1860, 10,238 ; in 1870, 15,823. In 1871, the tax valuation of real and personal property amounted to $5,665,623. The first officers elected were, Clerk, Ansel Blossom ; Recorder, same; Sheriff, Wm. Major ; Recorder, Charles Mount; Commissioners, Jesse Atkinson, Joshua Goodwin, and William Priddy ; Assessor, John Kuth. The following are the county officers in 1872-73 : A. W. Baker, Probate Judge ; Julius A. Gleason, Auditor; George W. Day, Clerk, James L. Price, Prosecuting Attorney ; John Seaman, Treasurer ; Abraham B. Gleason, Sheriff; P. C. Conn, Recorder ; James W. Rimer, Surveyor; A. N. Krout, Coroner; Samuel Miller, Abijah Goodwin, and Abraham Balyeat, Commissioners. The town of Van Wert was laid out on the 30th of March, 1835. George Marsh, James Watson Riley, and Peter Aughinbaugh being the original proprietors. The last addition, by Judge Wm. L. Helfenstein, was made on the 29th of August, 1840. Population of the town in 1850, 268; in 1860, 1,015; in 1870, 2,625. Valuation of real and personal estate, in 1871, $866,991. The St. Louis and Toledo Railway will cross the 'P. F. W. and C. R. W. at Van Wert, passing through Salida to Ottawa. 606 - Putnam County—Early Inhabitants. An error having occurred in stating the population of Delphos, page 461, it is here re-stated : In 1850, 374; in 1860, 425 ; in 1870, 1,667. The taxable . basis in the .Van Wert portion. of Delphos amounting to about one-third the part included in Allen county, was, in 1872, $142,089: Willshire is the oldest town in the county, having been founded in 1822 by Capt. Riley, who was prominently identified with the early history of North- Western Ohio, 'and who made the first survey of United States lands in the Maumee Valley. In 1872, Willshire had a population of 268. In Van Wert there are nine churches-1 Presbyterian ; 1 M. E. ; 1 English and one German Lutheran ; 1 Baptist ; 1 Disciple ; 1 Catholic ; 1 Evangelical Protestant ; and one African M. E. new public school building, at a cost exceeding 40,000, has been erected within the last two years, which the State Superintendent of Schools pronounces the best, considering its cost, erected within the last ten years. Fully six hundred thousand dollars are invested in the following named manufacturing industries : 5 stave factories ; 1 foundry ; 2 steam flour mills; 2 planing mills ; ; 4 brick yards ; 1 hub and spoke factory ; 1 woolen mill ; 3 cabinet factories ; 2 wagon and 2 carriage factories ; 2 harness shops ; 2 marble shops ; 1 lumber yard, selling pine dressed lumber ; 1 broom-handle factory ; 1 tile factory ; 7 shoe and 3 tailor Shops ; 1 ashery ; 1 brewery ; 1 flax 'mill ; 1 cheese factory and. 2 cooper shops. Eighteen steam engines are working within and directly outside the corporation. The banking business is in the hands of the First National and the Van Wert County Bank. The Van Wert Bulletin, J. H. Foster, editor, and Van Wert Times, W. H. Clymer, editor, are issued from establishments well supplied with material for executing superior job printing. There are also 4 hotels ; six general merchandise stores ; 13 grocery and provision stores ; 2 produce warehouses ; 4 drug Stores ; 2 clothing stores ; 7 boot and shoe stores; 1 dress-maker and 3 milliners ; 2 jewelry stores ; 2 hardware stores ; 2 tin and stove stores ; 3 Every and sale stables; 6 sewing machine depots ; 1 fancy furnishing store; 2 tobacco and cigar stores. PUTNAM. This county, formed April 1, 1820, was named from Gen. Israel Putnam, an officer of historical fame connected with the American Revolution. Until 1834 it was attached to Williams county for judicial purposes. Frederick F. Stevens, who originally settled in Putnam county, but removed to Defiance in 1826, says " On the Blanchard, in 1825, one mile above its mouth, resided John Ridenour, and at the junction of that stream with the Auglaize, Andrew Craig, who claimed to have been the first white settler in Putnam county. Excepting these two, there were no white families on the Blanchard below Findlay. Henry Wing had previously settled near the mouth of Blanchard, but abandoned his place, and removed to Defiance. Sebastian Sroufe was on the Auglaize, one mile above Blanchard's Fork, and Wm. Bowen 1 1/2 miles above Myers' Mill, or 'Kilkannon's ripple ; and yet above these, on the Auglaize, Elias Wallace, James J. Martin, Daniel Sullivan, David Murphey, (who also claimed to have been the first white settler in Putnam county;) Rufus Carey, (2 1/2 miles below Fort Jennings,) and a Mr. Harris, then the only inhabitant at Fort Jennings. Yet above the Fort were Mr. Hill, Joseph Sutton, Win- Putnam, County—Early Inhabitants - 607 Cochran, Josiah Closson, John Welch, Daniel and Wm. Sunderland, Thos. and Wm. Berryman, and Samuel Washburn. John Lang made a publication in the Delphos Herald, containing the following statement : " The Indians remained in this neighborhood, their last encampment being at Sulphur Springs, until the year 1836, and below Fort Jennings as late as 1889- Settlements were made at Fort Jennings in 1834, when Von der Embz, John Wellman, and others, settled there, and were soon after joined by Henry Joseph Boehmer. Disher, Peters; Raabe, Rader and Shroeder, squatted ' on Jennings as early as 1832." Judge George Skinner, who removed to Kalida in 1839, and is yet a resident in that neighborhood, says : " David Murphey was the first white settler in this county—residing in a house he had built of poles at the mouth of Blanchard. The first house built, was by two men and one woman, a mile above the mouth of Blanchard. The first county Court was held in the house of Christian Sarber, half a mile south of Kalida—Wm. L. Helfenstein presiding as Judge, and the family table serving as Judge's and Clerk's desk, bar table, etc-, and-the Judge making use of the bed for a seat. The jury held their private consultations in the woods. John Sarber, Christian Barber, and Ezra Hicks, members of the first grand jury, are yet living- "The third order issued by the Auditor read as follows : " To the Treasurer of Putnam county, Ohio : Pay William Treat three dollars and eighty cents for services as pack horse in running the Napoleon road.' " On the Court record of 1836, I find this entry : ' The Court appoint James Taylor Clerk pro tern-, in place of Daniel W. Gray, resigned.’ William (`Commodore') Phillips obtained a renewal of his tavern license. Marriage licenses were granted to David Stoufer and Elizabeth Nicewarner, John Armstrong and Elizabeth Strain, Christian Lugibill and Catharine Stoufer. " Jennings creek took its name from Col. Jennings, who led a body of men there from Fort Recovery and built a stockade at the junction of that stream with the Auglaize. Col. Jennings died and was buried here. Ottawa river was named from the Indian tribe who had their hunting grounds along its course. The name of Hog Creek had its origin in the fact that, during the war of 1812, some white men living near Piqua undertook to drive a lot of hogs to the military garrisons on the Maumee ; and having reached this stream, which they found much swollen, and becoming alarmed at the hostile movements of the Indians, they undertook to force their stock across, some of which reached the opposite shore, another portion perished in the waters ; but the most remained upon the first bank, and all were left to their fate by the owners, who made a rapid retreat homewards. The surviving hogs multiplied and replenished the wilderness. Hence the name of ' Hog Creek,' or Swinonia,' as Count Cof- finberry, under a poetic inspiration, designated it. " Sugar Creek derived its name from the maple orchards which supplied the Indians at Charloe with their sugar ; Plum Creek, from the annual wealth of wild plums that its rich bottoms supplied, ' without money and without price ;' and Cranberry, from the numerous marshes that bore that fruit in its vicinity. Riley and Deer Creeks were named by the Government Surveyor, Capt. James Riley ; and Blanchard, by an Indian trader, who was the first white settler upon its margin. "The first store in the county was established by an Indian trader on Section 16, Liberty township. The first general muster was held at Ottawa, in 1839, at which all the able-bodied sovereigns' of the county were gathered, with plenty of ' corn dodgers,' music and whiskey." Among the veterans at Gilboa, on the Blanchard, were Andrew, Thomas R- and William McClure, John P. Flemming, Otho and John Crawfis, Elisha and Isaac Stout, Nathaniel M. Creighton, Joseph Hickerson, Matthew Chambers, Abraham Hardin, Samuel and Jesse Hall, Wm. B. Thrap, Colonel Milton. C. Ewing, Stanberry Sutton, Dr. Hiram Alford and Dr. H. Luce. 608 - Putnam County—Pioneers, &c. At Croghan Post Office, which place was afterwards Shannon, and now Bluffton, Allen county, were the families of Daniel W. Goble, Mr. Viers, John Amstutz, John Carnahan, John McHenry, John Steiner, Josiah and Budd Gaskill, and Hugh Lee. At Pendleton were Joseph Patterson, Dr. H. Day, Mr. Kilheffer and Mr. Hamilton ; at Columbus Grove, Capt. Fred. Fruchey, John Bogart and Mr. Turner ; at Ottawa and vicinity, Dr. C. T. Pomeroy, Wm. and Jonathan Y. Sackett. Wm- Henderson, George Agner, Moses Sutton, John Race, James Clark, Christian Huber, Wm. Galbreath, James F. Adgate, Dr. C. M. Godfrey, Michael Row, Samuel Runyan, John and David Cox and Wm. Williams ; at Glandorf, Rev- John W. Horstman, Henry Ridenour and Ferdinand Breidike, who settled in i 1833, and in the same year, in the neighborhood, John F. Kahle, the first German naturalized in Putnam county. At an early date, also, were Gasper and Wm, Schierloh, Henry Umverfert, B. H. Kemper, Lewis Baker, and Messrs. Bookhold, Oskamp and Mohrman. On the Blanchard, below Glandorf, were W. Leemaster, Henry Wing, John Snyder, Nutter Powell, John P. Simons, Solomon Carbaugh, Joel Wilcox, Dilman Switzer, John Ridenour, Wm. Bell and Mr. Shank. At Kalida and neighborhood the following were among the early residents ; Winchton and Orville Risley, Francis H Gillett, Dr. Moses Lee, James Wells, George J. Wichterman, James H. Vail, Jacob Bean, Robert McCreary, Robert and Isaac McCracken, Hugh and Willie Crawford, Sheldon Guthrie, Clark H. and Levi Rice, Col. J. White, Capt. Thomas Coulter, George Skinner, Alonzo A. Skinner, James Thatcher, J. S. Spencer, Wm. Monroe, James and Andrew J. Taylor, David Ayers, Wm. Phillips, Richard Lee, Jesse Hight, Ezra Hicks, Adam Sarber, John Parrish, Joseph Nichols, Hugh Hughes, Evan R. Davis, Henry Moneysmith, John Ayers, James Rodgers, and several families named Guy. On and near Hog Creek, above Kalida, were Benjamin Clevinger, and his sons, Joseph, George, Jacob, Eli, James, Samuel and John; Col. John Kuhns, Jenkins Hughes, John Guffey, James Nicholas, Mr. Rhoades and John Gander. Below Kalida, and on Hog Creek and the Auglaize, were James Hill, Rufus Carey, Wm. H. Harris, Elias Wallen, Wm. Bowen, David Murphey, Daniel and Jackson Sullivan, Thomas Carder, Obed Martin, Rev. P. B. Holden, Rev. John Tussing, Henry Pence, Wm. and Daniel Thatcher, Samuel and Peter Myers, Ellison Ladd and Mr. Rhoades. The early inhabitants in the neighborhood of the junction of Hog Creek with the Auglaize, by reason of the eccentricities of some of them, were generally known as the " Auglaize rangers." In Greensburg township the first white inhabitant was Henry Wing, who removed to it in 1825. At the first election held April, 1835, Wm. Bell, Abraham Crow and Joshua Powell were elected Trustees ; Frederic Brower, Clerk ; Nutter Powell, Treasurer.; and Frederic Brower, Justice of the Peace. At this election eight votes were cast. F. Brower is the oldest resident now living in the township, having settled there in 1833. Liberty township was settled in 1835—Alexander Montooth being the first white male inhabitant. Then came, a few months later, C. Hofstaeter ; Nicholas McConnel ; Samuel, James and John Irvin ; Mr. Krebs and Oliver C. Pomeroy. In the succeeding years came L. Hull ; Jacob Sigler ; Henry Knop ; _George Hagle ; Robert Lowry ; James Woodell ; George Bell ; and James McKinnis. Pete Arm, one of the head of the Tawa tribe of Indians, opened a small stock of goods on Section 16—he being the first merchant- The township was organized in the spring of 1837—Nicholas McConnel, Hugh S. Ramsay and John E. McConnel being among the qualified electors, and voting. A. T. Prentiss, who furnishes these notes, opened a school in the township, in the winter of 1839-40. The first church was the Associate Presbyterian, of Poplar Ridge, organized by Rev. Samuel Willson—Nicholas McConnel and James Strain being ruling elders. The first settled minister was Rev. Samuel McLane, who took charge of the church in 1843, and remained until 1848, the period of his death. The first church building, and Putnam County—Pioneers—Clark H Rice - 609 the first established cemetery were upon the lands of James McKinnis. The town of Medary was laid out in 1845, by S. Medary, Dr. Wm. Trevitt, J. W. Watters and J. M. Palmer ; Leipsic, in 1852, by John W- Peckinpaugh. Before the opening of the Dayton and Michigan road, the average prices current for produce at Leipsic were, for wheat, per bushel, 37@50c. ; corn, 15@20c. ; oats, 12@20c. ; flour, per hundred lbs., $1 1/2 @$2 ; pork, per lb., 2@3c. ; honey, 8@ 10c. ; butter, 4@6c. ; eggs, 3@6c. per doz., and other articles of farm products, except fruits, in proportion." Among the first lawyers in Putnam county, were F. H. Gillett, W. L. Birge, A. A. Skinner, John Morris, E. T. Mott, and, later, B. F. Metcalf and James Mackenzie. The old physicians were Drs. Moses Lee, P. L. Cole and Andrew McClure, of Kalida ; Drs. Alford and Luce, of Gilboa ; Drs. Godfrey and Pomeroy, of Ottawa ; Drs. Cooper and Dewees, of Franconia and Dr. Day, of Pendleton. Wm. Galbreath aided in the erection of Fort Meigs—was present during the two seiges—and witnessed, from the pallisades of the Fort, (May 5, 1813,) the disaster which occurred to the forces of Col. Dudley ; and three days afterwards was with a force which crossed the river to bury the dead ; but the bodies were so advanced in decomposition, that it was impossible to execute their mission. The wolves, eagles and buzzards held their hideous feasts during several days and nights- Mr. Galbreath removed to Putnam county in 1834. Oliver Talbert, one of the old residents of the county, was at the surrender of Hull at Detroit, in 1812. The author of this work was formerly a citizen of Putnam county, and at one time Representative in the General Assembly of Ohio ; and, it may not be improper to state, originated the proposition to reduce the valuation of the State Canal Lands, and secure their sales, in restricted quantities, to actual settlers. George Skinner made Kalida his residence in April, 1839. During this period he has served as Associate Judge, had charge of the settlement of numerous estates, and probably made surveys of more acres of land in the county than any other person now living, and has discharged these several duties satisfactorily to the public and to all parties in interest. Dr. C. M. Godfrey, born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, June 17, 1816, established himself in Ottawa, Putnam county, in 1837—studied medicine in the office of Dr. Pomeroy, and commenced the practice of his profession in 1840. Directly after he became a resident, Dr. Godfrey took a leading part in every proposition made to hasten the development of the resources of the county. He was elected County Treasurer in 1842, and re-elected in 1844; Presidential elector on the Cass and Butler ticket in 1848 ; appointed Trustee of the new Lunatic Asylums in the State in 1854, and re-appointed in 1855, and was elected a member of the Ohio Senate in 1861. Dr. Godfrey is a good specimen of the race of self-made men who were so largely instrumental in giving a high character to the business and social life of the places of his residence. CLARK H. RICE. The name of this honored citizen, as one of the old residents of Putnam county, has been elsewhere mentioned. Mr. Rice was born November 19. 1804, in Essex county, New York, near Lake Champlain ; and in 1812, with his parents, removed to Richland county, Ohio. He was married December 6, 1832, near Perrysville, Ashland county, Ohio, to Miss Catharine Mowers, who still survives him. Mr. Rice removed to Kalida in June, 1839, and engaged in mercantile business, in which he continued during a period exceeding twenty years. From here he removed to Ottawa in November, 1868, and established the banking house of C. H. Rice & Co., and  - 38 - 610 - Putnam, County—Pioneers—Clark Rice. remained in this business until the time of his death, which occurred September 27, 1870. It may with entire truth be stated that no man has lived in the Maumee Valley who left a more honorable business record than Mr. Rice ; and although successful in worldly accumulations. his kindred and friends honor the stainless name he left, and esteem it a legacy of higher value than his wealth, considerable as that was. With him, his word and his bond were convertible terms, and both would command unlimited credit wherever he was known. It will not be deemed improper or uncalled for here, inasmuch as a professed " history " of the part Ohio soldiers bore in the late civil war, has failed to render justice to the military record, among others, made by Brig. Gen. A. V. Rice, son of the above, to briefly recapitulate the part the latter acted in that conflict. Gen. Rice was born at Perrysville, then Richland county, Ohio, in 1836-graduated in the class of 1860, at Union College, Schenectady, New York ;—was a law student until the war between the States happened ; when, to aid in the preservation of the Federal Union, he offered his services as a private soldier, with old school-mates and acquaintances, under the three month's call of President Lincoln, April 29, 1851, he was elected Second Lieutenant of Company E, 21st Reg., Ohio Infantry ; May 16, elected Captain, and served as such in the campaign of Western Virginia under Gen. J. D. Cox, until the muster out of his regiment, in August, 1861. During the month of September, 1861, he recruited a Co. for the 3 year's service, and was mustered in as Capt. Co. A., 57th Ohio Infantry, which Regiment he largely assisted to recruit and organize. On the 8th of February, 1862, he was appointed Lt. Col. by Gov. Tod, at the instance of his friends, and on the unanimous recommendation of the Officers of his Regiment. He accompanied his command to Paducah, Ky., when it was made a part of what is proudly spoken of as " Sherman's Division." At the ever memorable battle of Shiloh, Miss., April 6th and 7th, 1862, he commanded his Regt., as Lieut. Col., which was in the thickest of the fight, losing one-third of its men,—he being wounded by concussion of a shell above at the battle of Arkansas Post, Ark-, Jan. 10th and 11th, 1863, and within 70 steps of the enemy's works, under orders to charge the same at the time of the him, and knocked off his horse during the engagement. In the advance and siege on Corinth, Miss-, he took an active part in all the battles, and commanded his Regiment in such a manner as to elicit the encomiums of his superior officers, He was constantly with and followed the fortunes of Sherman's Army, during the summer and fall of 1862 ; and at Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., in Sherman's effort to reduce Vicksburg, assumed command of his Regiment, during the different engagements there from Dec. 27, 1862, to Jan- 2, 1863- On the last day, under instructions from Sherman, he commanded the rear guard of the evacuating army- He was with his Regiment surrender. He worked on the " Canal" at Vicksburg from Jan. 21st to Feb. 12th, 1863. In March he commanded the 1st Brig. of the 1st Div. 15th A. C- in the " Black Bayou Expedition "—an effort of Gen. Sherman to reach a point on the Yazoo river above Haine's Bluff, and thus invest Vicksburg. In this expedition his Brigade, by its prompt and energetic movements, relieved one gun-boat under Porter, and a part of the 2nd Brigade, which were surrounded by the enemy and in a most perilous condition. On the 30th of April, he took his command to Snyder's Bluff, on the Yazoo river, and assisted in making the diversion against that point, which enabled Gen. Grant to capture Grand Gulf; Miss- By rapid marches his command circled round Vicksburg, by the way of Richmond, La., and Grand Gulf, Miss., and reached Baker's Creek, Miss., in time to engage in the battle of Champion Hills, May 16, 1863. He led his command in the engagement at Big Black Hancock County—Organization - 611 river, May 17th, and pushing on to Vicksburg, was in the first assault on that place after its investment on the 19th of May, 1863. On the 22nd of May he led his command in the terrible charge of the enemy's works at Vicksburg, in which he was severely wounded, his right leg broken by a shot below the knee, and a minnie ball received in his thigh. These wounds kept him out of active service till January, 1864. For his actions in the various campaigns about Vicksburg, Gen. Sherman recommended him for promotion as Brigadier General. In the meantime, May 16, 1863, he was appointed Colonel of his Regiment. He was again with Sherman on his most notable campaign of 1864 against Atlanta, taking part in the different battles of Sugar Valley, Resaca, Dallas, New Hope, Big Shanty and Little Kenesaw, from the 5th of May till the 27th of June, 1864, when, at the assault on Little Kenesaw, he received three wounds almost simultaneously—the first resulting in amputation of the right leg above the knee ; the second badly shattering his left foot, and the third raking his head sufficient to bleed him freely. For his action at Resaca, Georgia, May 14, 1864, he again received an impromptu recommendation from the general officers for promotion to Brigadier General for " gallant conduct on the field, under their personal observation ;" but the appointment was not made till May, 1865. His terrible wounds at Little Kenesaw kept him out of the service till April, 1865, when he again joined his army at Newburn, North Carolina. He passed, with his command, in the great review at Washington May 24, 1865, and in June took them to Louisville, Ky-, where he was assigned to the command of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division of the 15th A. C.,—which he took to Little Rock, Arkansas, June 24, 1865. The same was mustered out, August, 1865. Gen. Rice was honorably discharged, January 15th, 1866, having given his best energies, and nearly 5 years of the best part of his life, together with a part of his physical being, to the service of his country. He was married to the eldest daughter of the late Judge Metcalf, Lima, Ohio, October, 1866, and now lives in his old county of Putnam, at Ottawa, and succeeds his honored father as the head of a prosperous banking institution. The population of Putnam county, in 1830, was 230 ; in 1840, 5,189 ; in 1850 7,221; in 1860, 12,808 ; and in 1870, 17,081. In 1832, the tax valuation of real and personal property amounted to $1,109,954 ; in 1862 to $3,115,499 ; and in 1872, to $5,386,908. Notes regarding the progress and prospects of the several towns are very reluctantly omitted. HANCOCK, With many of the other counties heretofore named, was formed by the legislative enactment of April 1, 1820, and named from John Hancock, first President of the Revolutionary Congress. The organization of the county was made in April, 1828—the only voting place being Findlay, and seventy-two being the whole number of votes cast. A very clear view of the early history of the county is embodied in former pages. " From Urbana the army, on the 16th of June, 1812, moved, on its march towards the foot of the Maumee Rapids, as far as King's Creek, and from this point opened a road as far as the Sciota, where they built two block-houses, which they called Fort McArthur, in honor of the officer whose regiment had opened the road. To this Fort the whole army came on the 19th, and on the 21st Colonel Finley was ordered to open the road as far as Blanchard's fork, whither the army, excepting a guard left at Fort McArthur, again followed on 612 - Hancock County—Pioneers, &c. the 22nd. Here, amid rain and mud, another block-house was erected, which was called Fort Necessity. From this point the army soon after moved to Blanchard's fork, where Colonel Finley had built a block-house, which was called in honor of that officer."—American, State Papers. Squire Carlin says of the condition of the old fort, in 1826 : " The pickets next the river were in a good condition of preservation ; but travellers who had camped in the fort had chopped off the tops of many of those enclosing the other three sides, for firewood. Within the enclosure was a block-house yet standing, and two small houses which had probably been used for barracks. The pickets inclosed about one acre of ground. Regarding the siege of the fort, during the war, the reader is referred to the letter of Major Oliver, pp. 159-160. Joseph Gordon was the first mail-carrier—concluding his twenty year's service about 1840. In an editorial notice of Mr. Gordon, published in the Findlay Courier, January 23, 1847, Wm. Mungen said : "Few, indeed, have constitutions sufficiently strong to endure such labor, for such a length of time. To think of carrying a weekly mail, ninety miles through a wilderness, under the scorching rays of a summer's sun—through the chilling winds and rains of winter—and that, too, for a mere pittance, is enough to make a person shudder. It is to such men as Mr. G., to our hardy pioneers, who were ready to encounter all kinds of toil and privation, that Ohio owes her present state of prosperity and advancement. For such men we cannot but cherish sentiments of respect : " Joseph Gordon was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, on the 29th day of January, A. D. 1784. In the year 1801, when but 17 years old, he commenced carrying the mail, on horseback, from Russellsville, Kentucky, via Bowling Green, to Glasgow, a distance of eighty-five miles, once in two weeks, for which he received twelve dollars per month. In 1802 he took a contract to carry the mail from Shelbyville, Ky., to Nashville, Tennessee. In consequence of the route being changed, he carried this mail only two months. From that time till October, 1804, he carried it from Shelbyville to Russellsville,, Ky. In October, 1804, he commenced carrying the mail, on horseback, from Wheeling, Virginia, to George Beymer's in this State, semi-weekly, a distance of fifty miles, with a led horse and a heavy mail on each. In 1805 and 1806, until the stages commenced running, he carried it from Wheeling, Va., through St. Clairsville, Zanesville, and New Lancaster, to Chilicothe. In February, 1823, he commenced carrying the mail from Bellefontaine, Logan county, to Perrysburg, Wood county, a distance of eighty-one miles through a wilderness, there being but one family residing in Hardin county, and but one Post Office on the route, and that at this place. Now there are eleven Post Offices on the route, which produce about three thousand two hundred dollars per annum. Mr. Gordon was the only contractor on this route from February 7th, 1823, to December 31st, 1839. Since 1839 he has carried the mail semiweekly from Bellefontaine to this place, a distance of fifty-five miles." Mr. Mungen also contributes the following : " For a long time what goods were purchased and brought here came via the Maumee, Auglaize and Blanchard, to Findlay, from Perrysburg, the head of navigation on the Maumee. The furs and such articles of sale and commerce as the new country furnished went there by the same route. The vessels used in the transportation of these articles were pirogues, or the bodies of large trees hollowed out by the axe and by fire. " Sometime about 1834, Michael Price, William Taylor, John McKinnis, his father, Robert McKinnis, and one or two others not now remembered, who had been on a trading trip to Perrysburg, were returning with goods, &c., and having got up into Blanchard a few miles above its mouth, and landed, discovered a large bear running past them. They gave chase, overtook or intercepted it, attacked and killed it with the poles they used to propel their pirogues, after a Hancock County—Pioneers, &c. - 613 serious and dangerous combat. They had no gun in the fight, their guns being in the boats when bruno made his appearance." The same gentleman furnishes the following list of early settlers : "In 1818, came Wilson Vance; and in 1822, John P. Hambleton and Robert McKinnis and his sons Charles, Phillip, James and John, and son-in-law, Jacob Poe ; and on Blanchard, below Findlay, in 1827, were John Fishel, and his sons, Michael and John, and son-in-law, John Magee ; and prior to 1830, Geo. Shaw, Wm. Downing ; John, Richard and Lewis Duke; from 1830 to 1835, Wm. and John Moffit, Wm. Birckhead, Thomas Hobbs, Daniel Cusack, Isaac Corner, John Povenmire, John Byall, James Jones, John Fletcher, John Lytle and George Chase ; from 1835 to 1840. James Jones, Absolom Hall, John Price, Thos. Cook, Solomon Lee, Rich'd and Wm. Watson, Johnson and Robt. Bonham, Win. Fountain, Robert L., Isaac and John Stroter, Rev. Geo. Van Eman, Wm. Ebright, Van Burson, Thos. Cook, Moses Predmore, Nathan Frankes, Thomas and John Jones, John Smeltzer, B. McClish, Enos Haddox and A. C. Worden. " At Findlay and neighborhood. from 1825 to 1830, were William Taylor, James B. Thomas, David Egbert, Squire Carlin, Ebenezer Wilson and Ab'm. Huff;, and, during the period from 1830 to 1835, there appeared Wm. Burns, Chas. Thomas, Wm. Gillespie, Wm. Marvin, Aldlen Wisely, Leonard Baumgartner, Jacob Baker, John Moore, John Graham, Wm. Roller, Cornelius Poulson, John Shoemaker, Moses McAnelly, John Huff, Aaron Swihart, George Hollenbach, Wm. S. Birkhead, John Bergman, Charles Thomas, John Burman, John Franks, Valentine Karns, Peter Wyant, John Edington—and, (dates being mostly uncertain,) Josiah Elder, George Fahl, Godfrey Wolford, Jacob Shaffer, John Lafferty, John Rose, Nathaniel Miller, Jacob Shoemaker, Michael Misamore, Peter and Joseph George, (1827,) Elisha Brown, Joseph Twining, Chas. Van Horne, Andrew Morehart, Uriah Eghert, Daniel Alspach, Stephen Lee. John Beach, Aquilla Gilbert, (1828,) Mordecai Hammond, John and Henry Orwick, Henry Treace, Robert Russel, John Vanatta, John D. and Henry Bishop, Lower Walters, John Scothorn, Elijah Woodruff, Joshua Hartman, Robert Crawford, A Keel, G. W. McClelland, Wm. Cameron, Wm. W- Hughes, Henry Oman, Nathaniel Stout, Simon Crist, Isaac Smith and Moses Elza. And again, between 1830 and 1835, came Samuel Huntington, John Kemphir, John Stump and John Fenstermaker ; and, between the years 1835 and 1840, the following named persons became residents : Robert Sherrard, James, John and Amos Cooper ; James Barr, Alfred and Isaac N. Davis ; John and Joseph. Radabaugh ; Robert Barnhill, Emanuel Longbrake, Adam Kramer, John Bergman; John Schoonover, Henry Kamps, Charles Henderson, Archibald Wilson, H- B. Thomas, Silas Leonard, Christopher and James Wiseman, Peter Glothart, Mordecai Haddox, Elihu Dennison, Frederick Dudduit, Abraham W. Beales, Abraham Schoonover, Joshua Smith, Geo. Van Eman, Joseph Johnson, Daniel Fairchild, Joseph Lash, Grafton Baker, John P. Ebersole, Wm. Fox, Jacob Hissong, Samuel Heller, Thomas Kelley, Caleb Roller, Francis Renfern, Sr., Paul Matthias, Thomas Watkins, James McConnel, and Samuel Morehead. And also at an early date came C. W. O'Neal, John Morrison, James M. and Charles Coffinberry. M. C. Whitely, Dr. Bass Rawson, John Mungen, Abel F. Parker, Parlee Carlin, Robert Bovard, John Reed, Jacob Ewing, John Fairchild, Phineas Mapes, George Downing, Christian Barnes, (and his sons, John, Abney, Jacob, Elijah and Gamaliel,) Jacob Rosenberg, Benj. Huber, Dr. Jacob Carr, Judge M. C. Whitely, Jacob Crumley and others." Drake Taylor, with part of his family, (including his two sons, Stephen and Henry D.,) removed to the farm 2 miles below Gilead, (now Grand Rapids,) in November, 1828- The families then at the head of the Rapids were Edward and Robert Howard and William Pratt ; and between these and Mr. Taylor's place were Joseph Keith and a Mr- Laughrey- On the north side, at Providence, resided Peter Manor, the only inhabitant on that side between Waterville and Prairie du Masque, where Samuel Vance, Mr. Scribner, (father of Edward Scribner, new of Napoleon,) and Mr. Bucklin, resided. There was a 614 - Hancock County—Pioneers, &c. settler opposite Damascus, on the south side, named Delong, and below him, on the same side, were Jacob Brown and Amos Pratt, who lived about two miles above Grand Rapids. Returning to the north side, and above Mr. Patrick, resided the families of Elijah Gunn, senior and junior ; and above them, at the place now called Florida, lived Jesse Bowen and Mr. Hunter. Opposite, at Snaketown, were the families of Messrs. Mayhew and Hunter. From the place above mentioned, Mr. Taylor and part of his family removed to the twelve mile reservation above Waterville, (being the first white settlers on that reservation.) Henry D. Taylor is now a resident of Hancock county. Wilson Vance, before mentioned, may be regarded as one of the fathers of Findlay. He first came to the place as representative, under a power of attorney, of the one-fifth interest of his brother, Joseph Vance, subsequently Governor of Ohio. The family of Wilson Vance made the seventh household of Hancock county. As an honest man, and prominent leader in all good works, his memory is held in high esteem by the old citizens of Findlay and of North Western Ohio. John Eckles, with his wife and three sons, settled in Cass township, Hancock county,—removing from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania—landing at the place above named on the 17th of April, 1836. Mr. Eckles and his three sons, namely : Charles J., James M., and Cyrus L., are yet living—all at Findlay, except James M., who is a resident of Fort Wayne. Robert Hurd, who came to the county in 1839 or 1840, laid out the town of Arlington, in 1841. Dr. Osterlin, representative in 1871-73 in the Ohio House of Representatives, settled in Findlay in 1834, and John Adams about the same time. The first white settler in the county of Hancock was a single man by the name of Tharp, who was at Findlay during the war, and remained until after its close, with several of the garrison, and engaged in the Indian trade. A family whose head was Benjamin Cox, settled in 1818. The first term of the Court of Common Pleas was held November, 1829—Ebenezer Lane, President, and Abraham Huff, Robert McKinnis and Ebenezer Wilson, Associate Judges. Only one case appears upon the docket. The record of the first session of the Commissioners bears date March 2; 1829. At this time John Long, Charles McKinnis and John P. Hambleton appear to have been the acting Commissioners, and the following persons filling other county offices : Assessor—Don Alonzo Hamblin, (whose bill for the assessment of the county for 1829 amounted to nineteen dollars and seventy-five cents ;) Auditor—William Hackney ; Surveyor—William Taylor. At the session of June 5,'1831, the Commissioners sold to the Reverend Peter Monfort Lots Nos. 105 and 148 in the village of Findlay for forty-three dollars and twenty-five cents. The taxable valuation of these lots for 1872 amount, with improvements, to $1658. Edson Goit removed to Findlay and opened a law office in August, 1832. He was the first lawyer who settled in that place. The second was John H. Morrison, who came to Findlay about the year 1834, having removed from Bucyrus, where he had served as Prosecuting Attorney and Treasurer of Crawford county. The third was Chas. W. O'Neal, who is yet in practice, and about the fourth Attorney was the late Jude Hall. Edwin F. Jones, now of Chillicothe, Illinois, communicated to the Findlay Jeffersonian, in 1872, some reminiscences of Hancock county, from which the following is extracted : Mr. Jones visited the county in May, 1827—was a guest at the house of Wm Hackney, and afterwards of John P. Hambleton. In company with Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton they made a visit to " the fort," 1 1/2 miles below—crossing Lye and Eagle Creeks on trees and tops fallen from either side. He was introduced to Wilson Vance, " the head centre, and a gentleman in deed and truth, and chief agent of the town proprietors." In the town Mr. Jones also met John C, Wickham, (school teacher,) Joseph and Wm. Be Witt and Squire Carlin. Hancock County—Resources, &c. - 615 " Sometime in 1828, Wm. Taylor made his appearance there. and gave Mr. Riley the job of building him a house, 16 or 18 by 32 feet, Mr- Riley furnishing the materials and finishing it off in different compartments for about $330. Sometime after, Mr. Taylor moved on, with his amiable wife, Margaret. Mrs. Taylor was a native of Bedford county, Pa. They were a great accession to Findlay, and would have been an honor to Washington City. Mr. Taylor brought on about $800 worth of dry goods and groceries, which he put up in one end of his house. In the fall of 1828, Mr. Joshua Powell and wife and sons, Eli and Nutter, and one daughter, settled on a donation lot, and built a hewed log house back in the brush. They were an honest and industrious family. Sometime after Mr. Powell bought land up the River and left his house. In October of that year, we had a great, accession to Findlay in the arrival among us of Dr. Bass Rawson, one of God's noblemen, and his kind lady and little daughter Hattie. They took up their abode in Mr. Powell's house. " In 1829 or 1830, we were favored with another accession of Robert L. Strother, with his mother and sister, Malinda Strother, afterwards wife of Joseph C. Shannon." At an early day the facilities for intercommunication were of a limited character. There was but one really passable road—leading from Bellefontaine 'to. Perrysburg, perhaps better known as "Hull's trace," having been the route he pursued in his march to Detroit. By-paths, blazed through the woods, were about the only things to be relied upon. Of course there was little home market for any thing. There was scarcely ever a surplus raised, and those who had wheat to sell would haul it to Maumee or Sandusky City and there sell it for from 40 to 60 cents per bushel ; hogs were driven to Detroit and sold there. In 1839 the railway fever broke out and took shape in the form of an appropriation of $100,000 by the County to the Bellefontaine & Perrysburg railway company, but the enterprise vanished into air—and but few people are aware that such an enterprise was ever contemplated. The first real impetus its growth received was by the building of the branch road between Findlay and Carey, in 1850-51. By means of it Findlay became a desirable market and reached out for trade in every direction. Subsequently the Lake Erie & Louisville road was completed from Fremont to Findlay, giving competition in freights, and materially benefitting the town- The Fremont and Indiana railroad was put in running order from Fremont to Findlay in 1861, but owing to the embarrassments of the company, the road was not completed further until 1872. This road was sold in 1861, and a new company organized under the name of the Fremont, Lima and Union railroad company. In 1865 the Fremont, Lima and Union and the Lake Erie and Pacific railroad companies were consolidated under the name of the Lake Erie and Louisville -R. R- company. The census returns for the several decades from 1830 to 1870, inclusive, exhibit the following results : Population of Hancock county in 1830, 813 ; in 1840, 9,986 ; in 1850, 16,751; in 1860, 22,886 ; in 1870, 23,847. The original proprietors of the land upon which Findlay was built, were Elnathan Cory, of Clark county, Joseph Vance, (subsequently Governor of Ohio,), of Champaign county, Maj. Wm. Oliver, of Cincinnati, and Wm. Neil and John Mcllvaine of Franklin county ; but the three last named disposed of their interest, and on the 26th of September, 1829, the town was platted and recorded by Joseph Vance and Elnathan Cory. In 1826 the post-office paid to Wilson Vance, postmaster, a commission for his services, amounting to $3,18, or 79i cents per quarter- The office now pays the postmaster a commission of nearly $2,000 per annum. The population of the town in 1850 amounted to 1,256 ; in 1860, to 2,467; in 1870, to 3,315. The assessed valuation of real and personal property in 1871, amounted to $1,035,529. 616 - Lucas County—Its History Resumed. It would have been gratifying could more space have been devoted to the pioneer men and times, and present resources of Hancock county ; but historical matter of much value, and not hitherto published, regarding its earlier history, are embraced in preceding pages. LUCAS COUNTY. Resuming and continuing now, from the interruption explained on page 578, the concluding sheets of this volume will be devoted chiefly to Lucas county--commencing with the reliable contribution of Sanford L. Collins, whose official and other trusts were ever executed with fidelity to public and personal interests, as all the old citizens of Lucas county will gladly bear witness. H. S. KNAPP, Esq.—MY DEAR SIR : As per request, I send recollections of the early settlement of Toledo. My residence there was from December, 1831, to February, 1833, in the employ of Lewis Godard, Esq., of Detroit, whose interest, under his instructions, both in merchandise and real estate, I closed out, in February, 1833, then returned to Detroit. During this time, however, I had, in connection with Mr. Godard, purchased lands at Ten Mile Creek, afterward Tremainville, to which place I came from Detroit in July following, erected a store, went to New York for goods, returned in October, and commenced improvements in land clearing, selling goods, &c., at which place I have since resided. The resident heads of families, January 1, 1832, embraced within the limits of what was then Port Lawrence township, comprising what is now the city, Washington township, Manhattan, Oregon, and a part of Adams township, were as follows : In the city limits, north side of the river, Major B. F. Stickney, William Wilson, Wm. (brother of Capt. James Riley, the old sea navigator,) Hiram Bartlett, Riley, Dr. J. V. D. Sutphen, Michael T. Whitney, James M. Whitney, Harman Crane, (father of C. A. Crane, Esq.,) Noah A. Whitney, Sen., and Peter Bertholf. In what is now Washington township, were Major Coleman I. Reeler, Deacon Samuel J. Keeler, (father of Salmon Keeler, Esq-,) Charles G. Keeler, Noah A. Whitney, Jr. Milton D. Whitney, Eli Hubbard, Cyrus Fisher, John Phillips, P. J. Phillips, and Joseph Hoop, Capt. A. Evans, W. R. Merritt, Charles Evans, Peter, David and Wm. Lewis, Caleb Horton, Samuel Horton, widow Holmes, Wm. Sibley, Andrew Jacobs, Christian Roop, Philip and Abel Mattoon, Dr. Wordon, Wm. Wilkinson, Moody Mills, John Leybourn, Peter Corno and Alexander Bernard. In what was afterwards Manhattan, were Tibbles Baldwin, Francis Loveway, Joseph Trombley, N. Guoir, and Peter, Robert, Alexander and James Navarre. In Oregon were Joseph Prentice, (father of Frederick Prentice, Esq.,) Ebenezer Ward, Robert Gardner, Mr. Whitmore and Mr. Crane. In what is now Adams, were Ezra Goodsell and Oliver P. Stevens. The winter of 1831-32 was employed by Capt. Hiram Brown and Capt. John and Tibbles Baldwin in establishing a fishery on a large scale—using a seine near the place now covered by the T. T. and Eastern Railway, that swept the river from shore to shore. The commencement of Toledo, starting out with two names, Port Lawrence and Vistula, may, I think, fairly be dated January 1, 1862, at which time Capt. Samuel Allen and Otis Hathaway came on from Lockport, N. Y., to commence improvements in accordance with a contract made with Major Stickney in September or October previous. Mr. Lewis Godard, of Detroit, above mentioned, and also a former Lockport man, (and the father of A, Godard, Esq., of Lucas County—Early History or Toledo - 617 your city,) came down and made a farther contract with Major Stickney for some three acres of ground, 10 be selected after the same should have been platted, under which agreement Mr- Godard was to send here a stock of goods, which goods were sent in the month of December, 1831, under my charge, I being then in his (Mr. Godard's) employ, and were put up in an old deserted block-house, which Philo Bennett, also from Lockport, had put in condition for their reception, having come down from Detroit for that purpose, and who became a settler here, purchasing the tract on the opposite side of the river, next below the Yondota plat. This block-house into which the goods were placed, was built by William Wilson, Esq., (afterwards Judge Wilson.) at the time that the town of Port Lawrence was first originated by the Cincinnati Company, in 1816—and had been so long deserted that it was perfectly surrounded with an undergrowth of timber of considerable size. Why I say that the commencement of Toledo may fairly be dated on the 1st of January, 1832, is, that the contractors, with Major Stickney, were then on the ground to commence the performance of their contract. Mr. Godard, on his part, had sent the stock of goods, which were then opened and for sale. These demonstrations on the part of Messrs Allen, Hathaway & Godard, in the way of town building, as well as their presence, were made the occasion of a grand ball to be holden in the old log warehouse then standing at the mouth of Swan Creek, occupying a portion of ground now in use by the Messrs Roff, for their hardware store. This building, together with the old block-house, now occupied for the store, were about all that existed of the improvements of the Cincinnati Company in their attempt to build up a town here in 1816. The old log warehouse, at this time, notwithstanding its antiquity, was really a building of great convenience. While a portion served for what was then considered a comfortable dwelling, occupied by Capt. John Baldwin, the upper part afforded the room for the grand ball upon the occasion before referred to, and which was participated in by the citizens generally (old as well as young) of old Port Lawrence township, as well as with fair representations from Maumee, Perrysburg, Bay Settlement and Monroe ; and as, upon all occasions of this kind in the then new settlement of the country, the best of feeling was manifested, especially among the residents of old Port Lawrence, who seemed to think that a new order of things was ahout to be inaugurated ; that improvements they had so long and so anxiously waited for were now about to be commenced. The Vistula part of the city was then laid off and platted, and the clearing of the plat of brush and timber commenced; also, the putting in of a long line of docking in front of the property at the foot of Lagrange street, extending down toward Elm street some 40 rods or thereabouts. This line of docking was built upon the ice, and notwithstanding its great weight, it being some nine feet high, it did not break through until the ice began to give way in the spring ; and of course, while kept up by the ice, presented a very formidable appearance ; so much so, that it attracted the attention of our enterprizing neighbors of Perryshurg, who came down upon the ice with a large party to pay their respects to the new proprietors and witness the new mode of building docks without piling. After examining carefully, they said it looked very well, but thought it would disappear with the ice in the spring, and perhaps the same might be the case with many of the new inhabitants hi the coming months of July and August, with fevers and agues, which they most assuredly would have. The spring came, and contrary to the predictions of our Perrysburg neighbors, the dock did not disappear, but became greatly displaced ; and so with the new settlers, they did not disappear, but had any amount of shaking. After the opening of navigation that year, an attempt was made on the part of the proprietors, in connection with Mr. 'Godard, to make an arrangement with some one of the boats then running in the regular line from Buffalo to Detroit, to come in here on her up trip, thereby having one boat a week. In 618 - Lucas County—Early History or Toledo. this, however, they did not succeed, but made an arrangement with the steamer " Pioneer " to run between here and Sandusky, meeting the regular boats at Sandusky, and bringing passengers and immigrants destined for the Maumee Valley and Southern Michigan, direct to Vistula. To aid in this matter, Two Stickney was sent as the agent of the proprietors to Buffalo, to change the tide of immigration or immigrant travel, so far as it was possible, to this route, by giving the necessary, assurance that a boat would be in readiness at Sandusky to take them to Vistula. Under this arrangement, the steamer " Pioneer " performed a few trips. and then abandoned it, as not paying. During this time, however, the fine schooner " Eagle," with its gallant Captain, David Wilkinson, made her regular trips from Perrysburg to Buffalo. Also the regular weekly trips of the steamer General Gratiot," Captain Arthur Edwards, from Detroit to Maumee, touching at Vistula, and affording a communication witH Buffalo by way of Detroit. During that spring and summer, (1832) there came, as settlers, Capt. Samuel Allen and family, Otis Hathaway, (did not bring his family,) Munson H. Daniels, Daniel Washburn, C. G. Shaw and family, Oliver Stevens and family, James Maddox, Stephen B. Comstock, Philander Wales, Dr. Fassett, (who, with Stevens, Wales. and Maddocks, and other families, settled on the opposite side of the river,) and Richard Greenwood, I think, came in that year. Oliver Spaulding and Daniel O. Comstock, came in the fall. Among the improvements that were made that year, and the most important in the way of building, was the erection of a store under instructions from Mr. Godard, on the S. E. corner of Summit and Lagrange streets, being on the property embraced in the purchase by him of Major Stickney, before referred to, which purchase covered the whole front on Summit from Lagrange to Elm streets, running to the river, covering the line of docking mentioned. On the front, on the north-westerly side of Summit, from Lagrange to Elm, except two lots, the consideration was the payment of $300, and the sending down of the stock of goods, put up in the old block-house heretofore mentioned ; during the summer, and while the store was being erected, Mr. Godard formed a co-partnership with Elkanah Briggs, from the vicinity of Albany, N. Y., Mr. Briggs purchasing the undivided one-half of that portion of the real estate already referred to, above Cedar street, including the store, which was afterwards completed and supplied with goods by the purchases of Mr. Godard, and sent here for Briggs & Godard. In October, Mr. Briggs came here with his family, occupying for a dwelling the upper part of the store, which had been fitted up for that purpose. On the arrival of the goods for Briggs & Godard, the remaining stock in the old block house was sold to Capt- John Baldwin, who fitted up a small unoccupied building, into which they were put, together with purchases from other sources, making a very respectable store. (This building stood on Summit street, between Perry and Monroe, and was known in after years as the old Saux' grocery ;) so that in the fall of 1832 both the upper and lower town, (the old town of Port Lawrence having been revived under the agency of Stephen B. Comstock) could each boast of a store of some credit, especially that of Briggs & Godard, both, in its building as well as in its stock. Mr. Godard's interest in the store and real estate of Briggs & Godard I was sold to Briggs in January, 1833, he (Briggs) selling to Edward Bissell, think, in the fall of 1833 ; this store was then occupied by Flagg & Bissell, then by M. L. Collins & Co., then by Clark & Bennett, then by Dr. Jacob Clark, then by Ketcham & Snell, and finally burned while being occupied by Elijah S. Hanks, in 1845 or 1846. During the year 1832, notwithstanding the importance of the two rival towns, (Vistula and Port Lawrence,) they were yet without any mail facilities, their post-office nearly three miles distant, at Ten Mile Creek, on the line of the old United States Turnpike, (so called) Cyrus Fisher, Esq., P. M., resided in a block-house of some considerable size, kept as a tavern and store, standing on the ground now occupied by Mr. Sharer's old tavern house, the mail being car- Lucas County—Early History of Toledo. - 619 ried through for the supply of the offices along the line, from Fremont to Detroit, on horseback, some three times a week, I think. The name of this post-office was the same as that of the township, Port Lawrence. Mr. Fisher, the then P. M.. leaving the neighborhood, Mr. Calvin Tremain, a very worthy than from Vermont. settling there with a small store of goods, was appointed P. M. in the place of Mr. Fisher. Mr. John P. Converse, the Mail Contractor, on the route from Fremont to Detroit, changed the horseback mail to a daily line of coaches. This was at that time a very great convenience, affording an opportunity by public conveyance of reaching Detroit, or East to Buffalo, during the winter months. About this time the question of petitioning for a post-office was talked about, and of course each locality wanted not only the office on account of the name; hut, the P. M. also. The lower town wanted the name of Vistula, and the upper, Port Lawrence. A meeting of the citizens of both towns was called, and a strong effort made to agree upon some one for P. M., also, the name of the office, and to at once petition for its establishment. Among the reasons for prompt action in this matter, aside from the long distance we were compelled to travel for mail accommodations, were, that sometimes when one was commissioned to bring in the mail for all the neighborhood, and happening not to be supplied, with the ready money necessary, (which unfortunate circumstance would sometimes occur, in spite of us,) the P. M., although a worthy man, but not sufficiently appreciating the efforts that were being made in building up, not only one, but two towns, would decline parting with the mail until the money was forthcoming, so that, in some instances, the second journey would have to be performed for the same mail. Some time during the winter of 1832-3, (I have forgotten the precise date,) a post-office was established, taking the name of the Ten Mile Creek office, (Port Lawrence,) and giving to that office the name of. Tremainville, simply adding the Tale to the name of its then P. M-, (Tremain-) Stephen B. Comstock had the appointment of P. M. at the Port Lawrence office. The post-office department also established a new mail route from Tremainville to Toledo, or Port Lawrence. Major B. F. Stickney had the contract for carrying the mail upon this route, supplying the Port Lawrence office with its mail from the Tremainville office three times a week for the net proceeds of the Port Lawrence office, provided the same did not exceed $15 per quarter. Under this arrangement Tremainville became the distributing office for Port Lawrence and Vistula, instead of their delivery office as theretofore. This state of things, however, did not last always. During the fall and winter of 1834-5, the Manhattanites, a most enterprizing people, opened up a new road in the direction of Monroe, intersecting the old Turnpike near the State line, while Vistula and Port Lawrence, anxious, to improve their mail facilities, had opened a road along the bank of the river to Fort Miami, thereby making a very passable road from the old Turnpike at Fort Miami, by way of Port Lawrence, Vistula and Manhattan, intersecting the old Turnpike at the State line, as before stated. The mail upon the old Turnpike route was then changed to this new route, and the writer, who was then P- M- at Tremainville, was advised of that change March 3, 1835, and also that thereafter the post-office at Tremainville would be supplied with its mail, from the Port Lawrence office, and instructed to give to Major Stickney for such mail service the same compensation allowed in the supplying of the Port Lawrence office, to wit : the net proceeds of the Tremainville office, provided the same did not exceed the sum of fifteen dollars per quarter, The office was continued until the change in the rates of postage, and then abandoned. Yours, as of old, SANFORD L. COLLINS, 620 - Toledo--Something of its Past and Present. Sandford L. Collins, Esq., who contributes the foregoing valuable historical letter, had two brothers, early residents of Toledo : John W. Collins, now living near Tremainville, and the late Morgan L, Collins, one of the oldest, most active and useful business men of Toledo, whose spotless name will long be remembered, and who died in the spring of 1865. The two last mentioned brothers came to the Valley in 1834. Few names are more prominent in the early history of the Lower Valley, or command higher respect, than those of the Messrs. Collins- TOLEDO—SOMETHING- OF ITS PAST AND PRESENT. The spirited frontispiece, by O. J. Hopkins, of the landing of the old Continental First Regiment of Infantry, at Fort Industry (now Toledo), will attract the attention of the reader. Its gallant commander, Colonel Thomas Hunt, received his "baptism of fire" in the first battle of the Revolution, and continued in active service throughout that conflict. The First Continental was a favorite regiment with Washington and the country. On its route from Detroit to St. Louis, in June, 1803, a night was passed in the vicinity of the fort, under tents. This old Fort stood near the edge of the bluff, about 30 feet above the river. Richard Mott's block occupies, probably, the central portion of the old post, erected under the orders of Gen. Wayne, in 1794, and the place where the treaty between the Commissioners of the United States and several tribes of Indians was made, July 4, 1805—[ante, p. 227]. Some, whose knowledge of the place is limited to a period of thirty or forty years, may be disposed to question the fidelity of certain points in the representation conveyed by the engraving; but those persons will remember that even within their time, every prominent landmark in existence when they had their first view of its physical features, has also forever disappeared. The early history of Toledo has been partly given in preceding pages. The city is already the recognized commercial capital, not only of the Maumee Valley, but of large, highly productive and populous districts in Ohio and adjacent and distant States ; and yet it may safely be assumed that the village, has scarcely entered upon the period of its commercial growth. Its infant struggle for commercial position, is very fully and satisfactorily given in the reminiscences of Major B. F. Stickney, and Messrs. Scott, Prentice, Mott, Daniels, and others; but the original design of giving full statistics of its present and prospective commerce, railways, manufactures, banks, etc., has been defeated by reason that it would extend this work beyond all reasonable limits. A general and imperfect view, therefore, of the present business of Toledo, is all that can be given. Its progress may, in some degree, be measured by the valuations, at different periods, for taxation purposes, as given below ; Toledo—Something of its Past and Present - 621